Woods and Whispers
by staryu
Summary: Nathaniel has a secret, something he keeps hidden from his brothers. What mysteries do the woods hold, and how are these connected to his fate, especially when it comes to the Goddess of the Forest? Sequel to "Ashes and Secrets".
1. Chapter 1

Nathaniel Wesdon hummed softly to himself as he walked in the woods. He needed to de-stress, and spending time with nature was just what he needed.

He had just returned after a long meeting with the other kings of Elyson, and the discussions were far from relaxed, a far cry from the previous meetings they had. It was the first time in a long while that there had been tension among the kings, but Nathaniel knew that this will only be the start of the conflicts among the five of them.

He sighed. Although he had sided with Zachary, he knew Jonathan and Kaelan had a point as well. After all, magic had been all but nonexistent in the world, so what were the chances that it would come back now? Still, the stars had told him the same thing, and they were never wrong.

He had to admit that reading the future from the stars is not ordinary. In fact, it is only his people who are able to do it, the Druids who have kept the Traditions even after all these years. Their race is now slowly dying, what with the advent of the more "modern" people (and Nathaniel sneered at this thought).

Nathaniel himself was not a pureblood Druid, a thought that still brought him pain. Certainly, he was thankful to Endymion for having assigned him to be the ruler of his own people, but they themselves looked upon him with distrust. No wonder, given that his mother had run off from the village to marry an outsider, a fisherman, something that the Druids considered as worse than sin. His mother had trained him in reading the stars from a very young age, almost from the cradle. He quickly became adept at it, so much so that he quickly surpassed his mother's skills. Sometimes, he even thought that if he was a pureblood, he would have become the default ruler of the Druids, as he was acknowledged, albeit grudgingly, by his people to be the best Reader. Even so, it had been a good move of Endymion to have assigned him as the overseer of the Druids. While they looked at him with distrust, they still accepted him as one of their own. Had it been the other three who were assigned…

Nathaniel felt a surge of pride and love for his brothers. They had kept his secret safe from everyone, at the risk of their own lives. While there was nothing magical about reading the future from the stars, there was still sufficient paranoia left in people, especially those from the Elysion, that they would automatically label it as the occult and have his head for it.

A rustle among the trees interrupted his thoughts, alerting him that he was far from being the only one in the woods. "Who goes there?" He asked sharply. A twig cracking was the only warning he got before he felt a pair of strong yet feminine arms wrap around his neck. Laughing ruefully, he wrapped his own arms around the young woman, delighting in hearing her laugh. "I thought I'd find you here," he murmured, running a hand through her hair.

"Really?" The woman pulled back and raised an eyebrow at him. "And yet you ask who is here with you?"

At this, Nathaniel chuckled. "Nothing gets past you, does it?" He said, a smile tugging his lips. He kissed her on the cheek before pulling her back in his arms again. "It is good to see you again, Astra."

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Here's the first sequel/companion piece to "Ashes and Secrets". If the story doesn't make sense to you, please do check "Ashes and Secrets" to get a clearer idea about this story.:)

Anyway, reviews are much appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Those were the best days in Nathaniel's life, as far as he was concerned. Certainly, his time with his brothers were delightful, but he could not help but associate a lot of those memories with blood and fighting, and his Druidic side continued to recoil at the thought of him touching the foul liquid that was so necessary in life. In those stolen moments with Astra, he was able to forget those horrible nightmares even for just a short while, and he gloried in these, just as he gloried in the woman who was the Lady of the Hunt and of the Weather.

He knew about her, of course. His people had worshipped her secretly, in defiance to the law that the rulers of Elyson have set all those centuries ago because of the events that led to the Battle of the Gods. He had an inkling that the rulers of Elyson, or at least Endymion, knew about the Druids' secret, but the High King has never brought this up in any of their conversations, something that Nathaniel was thankful for. At the very least, it gave him some insight about Astra, whose guiding hand has been said to bring hunters to safety, and whose power over weather ensured that the skies are clear for the Druids to see the future.

He had asked about that during one of their conversations, and Astra, giggling slightly, said that this was not strictly true, especially since she and her sister goddesses were forbidden to interfere directly in the lives of mortals, although she had admitted to controlling the weather so that the huntsmen arrived home to their families safely. When Nathaniel had pointed out that her presence on Elyson right now might be construed as interference, she had pouted and asked (quite prettily, as Nathaniel recalled), "Do you not want me here, my Lord?" To which the brown-haired king groaned and took her in her arms, an embrace she gladly returned.

A part of him knew that what he was doing was wrong. Although the Battle of the Gods occurred thousands of years ago, the events that occurred during and after the war caused wounds that cut too deep, and peace was never declared between Elyson and the other planets. Technically, they were still in a state of war, and as one of the generals of the High King and one of the rulers, too boot, it was his responsibility to let Endymion know about the presence of Astra on his land. However, he cannot bring himself to do so, as he knew that the moment he opened his mouth he would never see his beloved again, as his king would undoubtedly tell him to cut off ties and maybe even arrest the trespasser, goddess or no goddess. Nathaniel could not imagine living his life without her, not after seeing his goddess face-to-face. At the same time, he also did not think that he would be able to disobey a direct order from his king. These thoughts prevented him from speaking out, as treasonous as his actions may be.

He did, however, try to find out why she came to his land. Their first meeting was far from romantic. He had almost tried to shoot her with an arrow, thinking a trespasser had come into his lands, and she had only laughed and stolen away his bow before he could even blink. It was perhaps his close affinity with the stars and his ability to look beyond what the eyes see that made him see her for who she truly was, and he had gulped and gone down on his knees to show respect to the goddess he and his people had been praying to for centuries. Her only reaction was to laugh and to help him get back on his feet, telling him that his breeches would only get dirty because he was kneeling on mud. When he had tried to ask her what she was doing on Elyson, she had smiled impishly and told him that she was out exploring, and that he should not tell her sisters what she was doing if he encountered them. The mere thought of having tea with the legendary goddesses as they waited for the errant Astra to return from her hunt was so ludicrous that he found himself chuckling, to which the Lady quickly joined him in laughter. Their friendship quickly evolved into love. Nathaniel suspected that the speed of their relationship was partly due to the fact that theirs was a forbidden love, yet he also somehow knew that their destinies were entwined together, and even the stars seemed to bless them.

They did not have much time to spend, however, since Astra to go back to Jupiter to regenerate her powers and to take up her place as one of the guardians of her queen and her princess, while Nathaniel had similar duties in Elyson and with his people. Nonetheless, they managed to sneak away to spend time with each other, and Nathaniel was confident that they will be able to find a way to be with each other – even if it meant reconciling the planets once again.

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Sorry it took a long time for me to update. My computer went nuts on me, so I had to get it reformatted, and I sort of lost track of my fiction stuff. Anyway, thank you for reading. Reviews are always welcome.:)


	3. Chapter 3

For the first time in his life, Nathaniel found himself lying to his brother kings. Sure, he fibbed to them a few times, usually when he wanted to spend time with himself or he wanted to go carousing on his own, but he never seriously said untruths to them, especially not when it comes to matters concerning the safety of his liege.

And it was because of her. Astra. Nathaniel was not a fool. He knew that the presence of Astra was a threat to Endymion, if only because of the fact that she was a magic wielder and was part of the Lunarian Confederacy, a union of planets that Elyson alone opposed. He kept telling himself that he would tell his brother kings and his liege about Astra, but he found himself biting his tongue every council meeting, as his mind made him imagine just what the people of Elyson would do once they find out about the Lady of the Hunt. Endymion and his brother kings may be forgiving (although Nathaniel wasn't sure about how Kaelan would react), but the people would not be. The wounds left by the Battle of the Gods cut too deep. There was the fact that every time Astra visited him, she was always full of life and laughter. He shuddered at the thought of not having her in his life anymore. _For better or worse, I will protect her, _Nathaniel found himself telling himself as he held Astra in his arms.

Still, he could not feel the surge of guilt he felt every time he talked with his brother kings, especially when they asked him what he thought about the magical surges Zachary was detecting. Endymion and the others knew that as a druid, he was sensitive to magical flows, and his readings of the stars could give them the warning they need in order to prepare themselves for whatever may happen. Nathaniel confirmed that he could sense magic in the air, but told them that it was the stars that let him know this information.

His duplicity was only made clear to him when he, Zachary, and Kaelan visited Jonathan in his kingdom. The younger king had been absent for a council meeting, the first time that it had ever happened to any of them. Kaelan proposed to Endymion that the three of them would visit Jonathan to knock some sense in his head for his absence. The High King immediately agreed, especially since the death of Lord Daryne was something that concerned Jonathan as well, although he laughingly pointed out that Kaelan's excuse was a pitiful one if he meant to use it to hide his worry for the King of the East. Shaking his head at Endymion's perceptiveness, Kaelan nonetheless ordered Nathaniel and Zachary to pack up their things to head East.

It was then that he saw what was keeping Jonathan occupied. A young woman named Rei had somehow managed to insinuate herself in the castle, and she was in the process of beating the blond king in a mock sword fight when they arrived on the scene. The fact that she was able to match Jonathan in a sword fight was already a surprise, considering that the young man was one of the best when it comes to swordsmanship, second only to Kaelan. What shocked and chilled Nathaniel was the waves of magic he felt coming from the brunette woman, a presence that was similar to what he felt from Astra.

Rei's presence raised several warning signs in Nathaniel's head. The presence of one magical entity might be forgivable (or at least, that's what he told himself), but the arrival of another being that was at least as powerful as Astra sent chills running down Nathaniel's spine. At that moment, he realized just how little he knew of his goddess. When she visited, she had always encouraged him to talk, and she never spoke about herself or her fellow divinities, only saying that she had a loyal group of friends who she would protect with her life. Nathaniel knew that as one of the goddesses, Astra could not speak a word of untruth to him, but now, he wondered at just how much she had concealed while speaking nothing but truth to him.

The conundrum was that he could not raise an alarm about Rei without having to divulge information about Astra. As such, he did what he believed to be the most sensible thing to do, which was to try to talk with his brother kings about it. Kaelan, who was naturally suspicious, immediately agreed with Nathaniel when he pointed out that Rei showed good swordsmanship for a peasant. He even attempted to talk with Jonathan about the raven-haired woman. The problem was that the blond king was too besotted to understand what he was trying to say (something that Nathaniel could definitely relate to). Even so, he was smart and prudent enough to hear his warnings.

Unfortunately, his warning came too late, for it was during that conversation that Jonathan was attacked, and seemingly, by Rei. Kaelan had almost gone ballistic, screaming about the duplicity of women, and he would have attacked Rei had not Zachary restrained him. For his part, the only thing Nathaniel could do was pull Jonathan to safety as the fiery arrow flew in his direction. His heart ached as he saw the pain and disbelief in the blond man's eyes, yet his heart clenched even more at the thought of what his actions almost cost.

He made up his mind. As soon as Jonathan got back on his feet and Kaelan gave him permission, he would take to horse and go to his kingdom to have a talk with the Lady.

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And there you have it.:) Sorry there's not much Makoto here. I'm tying this up together with "Ashes and Secrets", so I can't stray that far from the story. This story will probably end in the next chapter (or the one after that), but I'm already planning on what's going to happen after. The next story will take off where "Woods and Whispers" will leave off, and tentatively, it's going to be about the remaining three couples (Ami/Zoicite, Minako/Kunzite, and Usagi/Mamoru) since their stories are way too intertwined in my head for me to make a separate story for each of them. After that, I'll probably write a companion piece to "Ashes and Secrets", again involving Rei and Jadeite and what happened to them after these events.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think (about "Woods and Whispers" so far and the ideas I've brought up) in the reviews.:)


	4. Chapter 4

Nathaniel took to horse almost immediately after Jonathan left for his own kingdom. If it wasn't for his concern for the well-being of his steed, he would have rode the beast to death and then found the closest inn and purchased a new one. Ever since the blond king had left Endymion for his own kingdom, Nathaniel's mind was filled with questions, and his heart with worries. There was something about the demeanor of Jonathan that invited such fears. Whereas he looked downright murderous before he talked to the young woman who called herself "Rei", his whole manner changed after the conversation. At times, he looked pensive, at others, he looked worried. Always, however, he always gave off an air of desperation, and this made Nathaniel worried. Jonathan was known for acting on impulse, and if he did something that could harm himself or their king… At least he looked calm enough when he asked for a private audience with Endymion. It was Kaelan who looked upset that he was not able to join the conversation between the High King and the King of the East, no doubt because the silver-haired monarch was fearful that whatever Jonathan would be disclosing could affect the security of Elyson and Endymion himself.

Nathaniel shook his head. Impulsive Jonathan may be, but he still had a good head on his shoulders. If there was anything that could put their king in danger, then the younger man would have told Kaelan and the others. What Nathaniel was more worried about was getting to Astra in time. The behavior of Jonathan and Rei caused the brown-haired man great disquiet, and the stars seemed to echo such fear, telling him in no uncertain terms that something was going to happen to his kingdom, and that he would be wise to take to horse to ensure that terrible events would not happen. Nathaniel grunted in frustration as he rode his horse. Reading the stars is quite tricky at the best of times, but somehow, he had always managed to extract the answers from them. He always figured it was because of his druidic heritage, although his people never seemed to find the answers as quickly as he did. It was only now that the stars became vague about things, almost as though a fog had covered them in order to keep Nathaniel from reading what was in store for the future. This was another source of worry for Nathaniel. The stars may not want just about anyone to look into what they are saying, but they would never have concealed answers from him.

Nathaniel sighed when he finally arrived in his own home. His back was sore, mute testament of the hard riding he had to do in the past days. Still, his body's complaints were secondary to the matter at hand. He raced to the woods. "Astra?" He all but yelled, his eyes scanning the trees for a flash of auburn that showed that the Lady was present. "Astra?" he called again. "Are you here?" No response. Nathaniel felt his heart clench in fear. True, Astra was not always there when he called, owing to the fact that she had her own responsibilities, but she had told him that she would be waiting for him when he got back, and she was never one to break her promises. "Astra?" he called out again.

It was only when he reached the clearing at the center of the woods when he finally saw her, and what his eyes clapped on caused bile to rise up in his throat. "Astra!" This time, he did yell, running to the side of the youthful goddess, who lay unconscious on the ground. Whatever questions he had for the Lady disappeared when he saw her appearance. Her hair was free from its confines, framing her face. It would have given Astra an ethereal look if not for the sticks and pebbles in her hair, as well as what her appearance revealed. Her dress was torn in several places. Her fair skin was marked with bruises and wounds, some gaping. Instead of blood, however, sparks appeared underneath her skin. Heedless of his own safety, he cradled her into his arms, rocking her gently. "Who did this? Astra, you have to wake up." None of his people would have attacked her. The Druids were a peaceful race, and they would never have had any cause to enter the woods, since Nathaniel had given the order to keep them from entering it for fear that they would find Astra there. _Besides_, a small voice inside Nathaniel's mind whispered, _who would be strong enough to harm a goddess? _

Astra stirred. "Nathaniel?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "You have to escape from here. Cha- Chaos is…"

"Chaos?" Nathaniel repeated, perplexed. "What do you mean by…"

"I think she meant me," a voice came from behind Nathaniel.

The brown-haired man turned his head, careful to shield Astra's body with his own. "Beryl," he growled. "What are you doing here?" His one hand that wasn't supporting the Lightning Goddess moved to his sword.

Beryl caught the movement. "You won't have much use for that," the red-haired woman said, smirking. With a wave of her hand, the sword flew from Nathaniel's side and landed safely on her own.

Nathaniel gaped. His was a two-handed broadsword, the biggest one that Endymion's guards ever wielded, yet that woman wielded it as though it was light as a feather. "Explain yourself," he barked.

"Dear, dear. For a Druid, you have a temper," Beryl mocked him. "And fraternizing with the enemy too," she added, looking at the weakened Astra in Nathaniel's arms. "What would Endymion say if he found out you had contact with one of magic and did not tell him about it?"

Nathaniel felt a pang in his heart as he recalled the deception he pulled to keep his brothers from finding out about Astra. He ruthlessly pushed this thought aside. "And you aren't?" he snarled. "You have power, witch!" He realized that Astra was trying valiantly to rise from his arms, but he continued to cradle her, mindful of how much energy is flowing from her body.

"Of course I have power," Beryl said, her tone arrogant. "And you could have it too, if you would only ask. Jonathan Herid did, and he's in a much better place right now."

"What did you do to Jonathan?" Nathaniel roared. It was only Astra leaning into him that prevented him from lunging at the red-haired woman in front of him.

"Don't listen to her!" Astra hissed, still valiantly struggling.

"I won't, dear heart," Nathaniel assured her, finally managing to realize what Astra was doing and supported her shoulders so she could at least sit. Immediately, Astra swung a hand, and waves of lightning flowed from her fingertips and raced toward Beryl.

Beryl only laughed at the action and with a gesture, summoned a wave of darkness that ate the energy attack thrown her way. "You're too weak," she said, smirking. Another wave of her hand, and Astra's body slammed against one of the trees, the force strong enough to make the young woman gasp in pain.

"No!" Nathaniel yelled hoarsely, and he put himself in between Astra and Beryl. "You hurt her, and I swear I will kill you right here and now, and to damnation with what Endymion has to say."

The mention of Endymion's name caused Beryl's expression to change, but the cruelty in her face immediately re-emerged. "So… You don't want power. How about surrendering to me in exchange for this girl's life?"

"And if I refuse?" He asked, trying to buy time so he could think of a strategy to pull himself and Astra out of the situation.

Beryl's only response was a smile. Before he realized what was going on, Nathaniel found himself pinned to a tree, with Astra's body being tossed this way and that like a rag doll. "You were saying?" Beryl said, smirking.

"No!" Nathaniel yelled again, trying to pull himself off the tree. His efforts were futile, as every movement only made his invisible barriers tighten even more, to the point of feeling pain. What hurt him more, however, was the look of pain and terror in Astra's eyes as she struggled to free herself. "Alright, you win!" Nathaniel yelled.

Beryl's eyes lit up in triumph, and with a wave of her hands, caused Astra to drop down to the ground and Nathaniel to free himself. He immediately ran over to the young woman.

"Nathaniel, don't do what she says," Astra immediately told him, her voice soft. Nathaniel didn't know if this was because of the pain or because she didn't want Beryl to overhear. "The power inside her… It was the one that triggered the Battle of the Gods. It's the power that is slowly eating your land and causing it to die. Please… Don't go over her side."

"I can't," Nathaniel said, his own voice breaking. "Not if I want to keep you safe."

"No," Astra whispered. She reached out and ran one hand to cradle his face. "If you go over her side, there's no guarantee that you will still be the same person who you are right now. I don't want you to lose your soul. Not for me."

Nathaniel closed his eyes and felt the warmth coming from her hand. For a second, he imagined that it was just the two of them in the woods, but the drastic situation that they were in did not allow him to waste any more time. "Listen, Astra. We don't have that much time. When I stand up, I want you to teleport immediately out of here. Alert your… Your people about what happened here. Let them know what's causing Elyson to die. Let my king know what's going on so he will know what to do. I might not be able to fight her in order to protect you, but you can fight in my behalf."

"I cannot fight anymore," Astra whispered, and Nathaniel's heart clenched as he realized just how much damage the young woman took.

"You can," Nathaniel said, smiling down at her. "You are my warrior goddess, and I know you can take on anything. I'll be standing up now. Don't worry about me. Just teleport out of here. Is that clear?"

"But I can't just leave you!"

"You can," Nathaniel said gently, rubbing a mud streak off her cheek. That way, we have a bigger chance of stopping the enemy. Do I have your say on this?"

"Alright, yes."

At this, Nathaniel gently put down Astra on the ground and stood up. A flash of light followed immediately, and Astra was gone.

"No!" Beryl shrieked. "Where did she go?"

"Somewhere where you can't get your claws on her," Nathaniel answered. "You gave your promise. In exchange for her, you get me. A king and general for a slip of a girl. That's more than fair, isn't it?"

"Beryl's expression was twisted. "It would be, under normal circumstances, but not if the 'slip of a girl', as you called her, is one of the Silver Goddesses. What? You didn't think I knew?" she mocked Nathaniel's shocked expression.

Nathaniel schooled his expressions to make it more neutral. "Well, it doesn't really matter who she is. She's gone. Keep your promise."

"My dear, who said anything about Chaos keeping any promises?" Before Nathaniel realized it, she was already beside him, and the hand on the side of his face was all the warning he got before he felt extreme pain running through his body. He yelled again and again as he was physically and mentally tortured in the space of a few seconds, and the pain was so intense that he found himself going down on his knees.

When it was over, Beryl stood in front of the brown-haired man. "Arise, Lord Nephrite," she said, her tone strangely formal. "The second of the Generals of the Dark Kingdom."

Nephrite stood but did not say anything, the sparkle in his left ear serving as his response.

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And that's that. I'll be following this up with the Ami/Zoisite, Minako/Kunzite, and Usagi/Endymion story (or stories, depending on how the flow goes) so stay tuned! Reviews are always much appreciated.:)


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